Meta Blocks Iranian Hackers Posing as Tech Support on WhatsApp
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has announced that its security teams blocked a small group of accounts on WhatsApp. These accounts were posing as support agents for tech companies and were linked to Iranian hackers.
The hackers targeted individuals connected to US President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Donald Trump, among others. Meta stated that there is no evidence that the targeted WhatsApp accounts were successfully compromised. However, they have shared information with law enforcement and other tech companies.
Earlier, the US formally accused Iran of attempting to undermine the US presidential elections. A joint statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI, and the federal cybersecurity agency CISA highlighted Iran’s aggressive activities during this election cycle.
Meta’s investigation linked the hacking attempts to APT42, an Iranian threat actor known for using phishing tactics to steal credentials. The company had previously shared research related to this group targeting individuals in West Asia and the US.
Doubts Revealed
Meta -: Meta is the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. It used to be called Facebook, Inc.
Iranian hackers -: Hackers from Iran are people who use computers to break into other people’s accounts or steal information. Iran is a country in the Middle East.
tech support -: Tech support is help provided to people who have problems with their computers or phones. The hackers pretended to be this kind of help.
WhatsApp -: WhatsApp is a messaging app that lets people send texts, make calls, and share photos and videos.
US President Joe Biden -: Joe Biden is the current President of the United States, which is a country in North America.
Vice President Kamala Harris -: Kamala Harris is the Vice President of the United States. She helps the President and is the second-highest leader in the country.
former President Donald Trump -: Donald Trump was the President of the United States before Joe Biden. He is no longer in office.
law enforcement -: Law enforcement means the police and other agencies that make sure people follow the law.
APT42 -: APT42 is a group of hackers that are believed to be from Iran. APT stands for Advanced Persistent Threat, which means they are very skilled and keep trying to hack for a long time.
phishing tactics -: Phishing tactics are tricks used by hackers to get people to share their personal information, like passwords, by pretending to be someone they trust.
